Photo/Illutration Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki calls for people to take stronger measures to prevent novel coronavirus infections at a news conference in Naha on April 7. (Shogo Mitsuzumi)

NAHA—The seventh wave of infections has hit Okinawa Prefecture, and COVID-19 pre-emergency measures may be needed to halt the spread of the highly contagious BA.2 subvariant, Governor Denny Tamaki said.

“I have to accept the fact that the seventh infectious wave has rushed into the prefecture,” Tamaki said at a news conference on April 7.

The Okinawa prefectural government reported 1,355 new COVID-19 cases on April 7, topping 1,000 for the third straight day.

The number of new cases per 100,000 people in Okinawa Prefecture for the week through April 6 was 513.36, the highest figure among prefectures in Japan.

The southern island prefecture also said the occupancy rate of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients was 38.1 percent as of April 7, up about 15 points from a week ago.

Tamaki said he would consider asking the central government to reintroduce pre-emergency measures if the novel coronavirus infections continue to soar.

According to Tamaki, the Omicron strain that was prominent in the sixth wave of infections is being rapidly replaced by the more contagious BA.2 subvariant of Omicron.

The BA.2 accounted for 35.4 percent of infections in the prefecture in the first week of April, double the ratio from the preceding week.

“The new cases seem to be increasing among all generations,” Tamaki said. “I am sorry to say that we may have no choice but to restrain ourselves from going out during the long (Golden Week) holiday period in May.”

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